Breaking: Ireland confirmed as co-host for Euro 2028

Breaking: Ireland confirmed as co-host for Euro 2028

Ireland will co-host the 2028 European Championship

UEFA have confirmed that Ireland will co-host Euro 2028 with the United Kingdom.

It is proposed that six games will be played at the Aviva Stadium as part of the five federation tournament, including a quarter-final.

Other games will be held in Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Manchester and Liverpool.

Ireland to host Euro 2028.

Football fans knew the bid would be successful since last week when Turkey pulled out of the running.

With that in mind, current Ireland boss Stephen Kenny was asked about the successful bid and its implications last Thursday:

“Youโ€™d hope that would lead to grounds throughout the country having improvements rather than one isolated GAA stadium (Casement Park in Belfast),โ€ said Kenny.

โ€œI donโ€™t think it does any harm then, if the Euros are coming and football is at the forefront.

โ€œBut I canโ€™t say with certainty that all of a sudden League of Ireland grounds will benefit from the Euros being played.

“I donโ€™t know enough about the inner workings of negotiations with the Government in relation to funding for the stadiums.

โ€œIโ€™m not party to all of those conversations. If the possibilities exist there, the league has great potential now obviously.”

Kenny on Ireland’s successful joint-bid.

โ€œWith the changes with Brexit and the challenges that brings, the need for academies to be revitalised and funded in a meaningful way.

“Theyโ€™re not really funded in any meaningful way and players are still being produced. Thereโ€™s a lot of great work going on in difficult circumstances.

โ€œIdeally, you would see a bigger picture of negotiations between the Government and the FAI, what a legacy would look like in terms of grounds around the country, linked into the Euros.

โ€œThereโ€™s talk of what itโ€™s worth to the economy. I donโ€™t know, these figures are always contentious, itโ€™s a matter of opinion

โ€œShould we look at it in isolation and say the legacy of that is maybe young people being inspired by having the best players in Europe on their doorstep?

โ€œThatโ€™s something, thatโ€™s a positive thing. But the chronic underdevelopment over decades of grounds throughout Ireland, in major cities, (they have) been obviously incredibly underfunded.โ€